AUSTIN — Texas Sen. John Cornyn said Friday that he and other members of the state's delegation will oppose redirecting the use of any Hurricane Harvey disaster funds to build a Mexican border wall.

As the government shutdown entered its 21st day with no clear end in sight, the Trump administration floated the possibility of using disaster relief dollars earmarked for Texas and Puerto Rico to build the border wall by declaring a national emergency and bypassing congressional approval.

"I will oppose any reprogramming of Harvey disaster funds," Cornyn told reporters after he and fellow Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz gave the keynote address at a Texas Public Policy Foundation luncheon. "We have worked very hard to make sure victims of Hurricane Harvey are addressed, that their concerns are addressed, and I think we are all together on that."

Cruz added that he doesn't believe the president would tap Harvey dollars for the wall.

"On Air Force One we actually had a fairly extended discussion with the president yesterday about Hurricane Harvey relief, about the need to continue that funding to make sure it comes through," he said. "So I think some of these reports are overstated. I don't believe we're going to see that money jeopardized in any way."

Cornyn and Cruz, who spent Thursday at the border with Trump, were united in their message that the government shutdown should be blamed on Democratic leadership who have refused to move an inch on border funding. Cornyn said Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer owe the 800,000 federal government employees who aren't receiving paychecks an apology.

"To end this, we need to see compromise. The president has said repeatedly that he's more than happy to compromise," Cruz said. "He's more than willing to work together to negotiate. But the position of the Democrats is and remains, 'Hell no.' "

He said Democrats refuse to compromise or talk.

"They will insist the government is shut down so long as even one penny is allocated to building a border physical barrier," Cruz said.

Trump is demanding $5.7 billion for construction of a border barrier. Before the shutdown began, he had publicly sought $5 billion. In the early hours of the shutdown, Vice President Mike Pence and aides floated the possibility that he would accept $2.5 billion. But Trump quickly shot that down, and Democrats have doubts about whether they can rely on offers from any intermediaries.